Creating PTO Registers

Use the PTO Register Types form to create or update a PTO register. PTO registers track the usable hours of PTO that employees accrue over the course of the year. The events the trigger PTO accrual, and the strict definition of "year," are defined on this form.

Note:  The PTO Register Type indicates when employees accrue paid time off. The PTO Benefit Plan indicates how much paid time off employees accrue.

To create a PTO register:

1. Click the Client menu.
2. From Client|Change, select PTO Register Types. The PTO Register Types form opens.
3. Complete the following:
Field Description
PTO Type Code

Enter a unique PTO Type Code for this register. For example, V for vacation, S for sick, or P for personal time. (Required.)

Note: For new PTO Register Types, the Paid Absence option is enabled by default.
Description Enter a register description. (Required.)
PTO Class

Enter the PTO Class that restricts the number of register types that can be assigned to an employee. (Required.)

Paid absence benefits are typically provided on a yearly basis. The year-to-date period for tracking benefits is based on the anniversary of each employee’s hire date or some fiscal year basis. If you use anniversaries, the employee year ending dates will vary. If you use a fiscal year end basis, all employee registers end on the same day.
Year End Basis

Select the Year End Basis that this register tracks. (Required.)
Fiscal End Month/Day

If the Year End Basis is Fiscal, enter the Fiscal End Month/Day when each fiscal year ends.

Note: The Trigger Method and Trigger Date fields work together to determine when an accrual occurs and through which date the accrual calculates.
Trigger Method

Select the accrual calculation that triggers during payroll processing. (Required.)

• Pay Period Accrual: Accruals calculate for employees with regular vouchers in the payroll. Calculations are from the last accrued through date through the end of the selected Trigger Date.
• Anniversary Month: Accruals calculate when the Trigger Date crosses an employee’s anniversary day, and the last accrued through date is before that day.
• Anniversary Year: Employees receive a lump-sum accrual for a paid time off benefit at the beginning of their anniversary year for benefits accrued through the end of the current year. This method triggers when the Trigger Date crosses over the employee’s anniversary day.
• End of Month: This method triggers when the pay period crosses into another month or ends on the last day of a month. Accruals calculate through the end of the month, or the employee’s anniversary day for the month, depending on the Trigger Date.
• End of Quarter: This method triggers when the pay period crosses into a new quarter. Quarters are based on either the year-end or employee’s anniversary date, depending on the Trigger Date.

Note: A warning message displays when you select End of Quarter, "Warning: Flat amount is the only Plan Calculation supported by End of Quarter Trigger Method. The Year End Basis must also be Fiscal Year ending on 6/30." Click OK to continue.

• End of Year: Employees receive a lump-sum accrual for a paid time off benefit at the end of the fiscal year. When the end of the fiscal year corresponds to the end of the calendar year, the accrual triggers when the pay period crosses into the new year or the period end date is the same as the end of the calendar year. Otherwise, the accrual triggers when the period end date crosses the year end date in the current year.
• First of Year: Employees receive a lump-sum accrual at the beginning of the fiscal year. The First of Year trigger works exactly the same as the End of Year trigger, except that the accrual level is based on the employee’s seniority level as of January 1st of the next year (instead of December 31st of the current year).
• First of Following Month: This method triggers when the pay period includes the first day of a month. Accruals calculate for the previous month.
• First of Current Month: This method triggers when the pay period includes the first day of a month. Accruals calculate for the current month.
• First of Quarter: This method triggers when the pay period includes the first day of a new quarter for employees enrolled in a PTO Benefit Plan that has a calculation basis of Flat Amount and who are enrolled in a PTO register type with the First of Quarter trigger method and the Pay Date trigger date. For example, if the first pay date in Q4 occurs on 10/7/2024, PTO accrual occurs during that payroll. (Quarters are typically calendar quarters: Q1 = January - March, Q2 = April - June, Q3 = July - September, and Q4 = October - December.)

Note the following:

• A warning message displays when you select First of Quarter, "Warning: Flat amount is the only PTO Benefit Plan Calculation basis supported for First of Quarter Trigger Method." Click OK to continue.
• You can only select Pay Date as the Trigger Date if you select First of Quarter.
• Holiday: Use the Scheduled Holidays panel to select one or more holidays when hours accrue. For more information, see Scheduling Holidays.
• Prior Year Accrual: This method triggers the balance register to move the accrued PTO hours from the accrual plan to the balance plan. The system initializes the trigger date when the pay period crosses over into the year’s end. The plan is triggered at year end from the accrual plan to the balance plan, which could be an anniversary date or a fiscal date, and uses the option set in the Year-End Basis field. (Either way, the transfer of hours happens during the pay period in which that year-end date occurs.)
• Custom Basic Routine: Select this method when the client’s trigger methodology is unique and requires a custom routine to implement it. For more information, see Using Customized Accrual Subroutines.
• Scheduled: Use the Scheduled Triggers panel to define certain intervals (in months) that trigger accruals. For more information, see Defining Intervals That Trigger an Accrual.

Note: This option is available only when you set the Year-End Basis to Anniversary.
Trigger Date

Select the date through which the accrual calculation is triggered. The options vary based on the selected Trigger Method.

Print on Check

Select if balances for this register type should print on employees’ payroll check stubs.

Pay Stub Name

Enter a name to describe the PTO register type. This will appear on each employee’s payroll check stub and certain reports.

Inactive Register

Select if this register type is no longer used. The system will not calculate accruals or update existing employee registers.

Paid Absence

Select to indicate that this PTO register is for tracking paid absences. (This option is for informational purposes only.)

Auto-enroll Through-Date is Day Before Start Date

Select to force the accrued through date to be the day before the start date when auto-enrolling employees in plans for this register type. This can help to ensure that auto-enrolled employees do not lose accrual for that day.

Display a Warning If Employee Uses More Hours Than Available

Select to display a warning during payroll initialization if an employee uses more hours than currently available.
4. Click Save.

Scheduling Holidays

This setting displays if you set the register type Trigger Method to Holiday (see above). Use the Scheduled Holidays panel to ensure that the PTO register accrues holiday-based PTO at the appropriate time (determined by a "look ahead" period).

To schedule a holiday:

1. Click the Client menu.
2. From Client|Change, select PTO Register Types.
3. In Trigger Method, select Holiday. The Scheduled Holidays panel displays.

4. Complete the following:

Field

Description

Look Ahead Days

Enter the number of days to look ahead for holiday-based accrual. This acts as an offset. For example, if the pay period start and end dates are June 1 and June 15, and the Look Ahead Days is 7, the system checks for holidays between June 8 and June 22.

Holiday

Click Holiday and select one or more holidays from the list, then click Accept. The Holiday Name fills in.
5. Click Save.

Defining Intervals That Trigger an Accrual

To define intervals (in months) that trigger an accrual, use the Scheduled Triggers panel.

To define an interval:

1. Click the Client menu.
2. From Client|Change, select PTO Register Types.
3. In Year-End Basis, select Anniversary. In Trigger Method, select Scheduled. The Scheduled Triggers panel displays.

4. Complete the following:

Field

Description

Starting Monthly Intervals

Enter the number of months during an employee’s first year of employment when paid time off hours accrue. The last interval in the list should be 12.

Subsequent Intervals

Define the regular interval (in months) when hours accrue after an employee’s first year.
5. Click Save.

Using Customized Accrual Subroutines

If the client uses an accrual method that differs from methods previously described, use a customized accrual subroutine.

Note:  Contact a systems professional to design a subroutine using the parameters described here.

To design a subroutine:

1. Click the Client menu.
2. From Client|Change, select PTO Register Types.
3. In Trigger Method, select Custom Basic Routine. The Custom Basic Subroutines panel displays.

4. In Trigger Subroutine, enter a custom trigger method subroutine to determine whether hours should accrue for each employee. The format is:

SUBROUTINE

SUBR.NAME(ABSENCE.REGISTER.REC,EMPLOYEE.SSN,ACCRUAL.TRIGGERED)
The variable ACCRUAL.TRIGGERED should return either a 0 (zero) or 1 (one). If the value returned is 1, the system calculates an accrual.
5. In Calculation Subroutine, enter a customized subroutine to replace the standard daily accrual calculation. The subroutine must have the following parameter list:

SUBROUTINE

SUBR.NAME(COMPANY.NO,EMP.SSN,REG.TYPE,ABSENCE.REGISTER.REC,

BENEFIT.PLAN.REC,VOUCHER.REC,HOURS.ACCRUED)

The hours accrued should be returned in the variable HOURS.ACCRUED. The calling program does not accept the return of a negative number. If the system returns a negative number, it is set to zero instead. Do not return a number with an embedded decimal point because it will be truncated.
6. Click Save.